In the many facets of the entertainment world, there are a finite number of original ideas that most works that follow draw from in one way or another. The comic book world is no different, so when a talent emerges that sets the industry on its ear, the fans pay attention.

Two such talents are Steve Niles and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz pioneered the painted sub-genre of comic book art nearly single-handedly. With a defining run on Marvel’s New Mutants, jaw dropping takes on Daredevil, Elektra, and Moon knight, through his genre defying creator-owned Stray Toasters, Sienkiewicz has influenced an entire generation of illustrators and painters. Most recently, he designed the layout for Venture Bros. Season One DVD and teamed with Niles on 30 Days Of Night: Beyond Barrow.

Niles, along with artist Ben Templesmith, forced everyone to rethink the vampire mythos with his history-making 30 Days Of Night, recently a major motion picture release through Ghost House Entertainment and producer Sam Raimi. Having helped usher horror comics back into prominence, he has since worked on a laundry list of titles, such as Wake The Dead, Criminal Macabre, Bigfoot (with shock-rocker Rob Zombie), and Strange Cases, among dozens more.

These two heavy weight creators are now unleashing their new nightmare, Sinner, coming soon from Image Comics. We were able to chat up Steve and Bill and get some juicy bits from them.

Steve Niles and Bill Sienkiewicz interviewed by Greg from Black Cat Comics for ARTCOTIC – Salt Lake City, Utah

ARTCOTIC - Steve, your writing style, and Bill, your art style seem like a match made in heaven. How did you two come to hook up creatively?

SN: I’ve known Bill for years. He actually did the cover for the second book I ever published back in the 80’s. The book was called FLY IN MY EYE and Bill did a really cool, sick image. I basically met him because I was a rude little punk. I didn’t know it wasn’t cool to call artist blind so I just called and started talking. Somehow he put up with me and we’re still friends today and FINALLY getting a chance to work together.

BS: It's true what Steve says, all except for him being the 'rude little punk'. When he called me one night at my studio-it was odd- but it was very natural-as though we'd known each other before. (Cue the theramin.) I think I was working on one of the trading card sets-- it quickly became obvious that we were just two fans guys talking- not doing the stereotypically derogatory image of norm and cliff geeking out at ‘cheers’ - we were having very lucid and enthusiastic conversations about characters and companies and all the opportunities we felt they (the companies) were missing in their commitment to adherence to unexplored territory. We volleyed, what to us, were interesting takes on existing characters or new ones that hadn't been exploited. And our friendship and respect just grew from there. There was none of any sort of obsequiousness that sometimes accompanies "fans" -even professional ones--just mutual arenas of love of the medium of comics and storytelling -and a certain amount of disdain for the business of comics and storytelling. There was none of that creepy, though in our case hetero- version, of 'play misty for me ' discomfort, nor in any of our conversations- on either side- The enthusiasm just escalated to:" yeah! Let’s do something together! The only question would be, "what would we work on?"

ARTCOTIC - Tell us about Sinner. Why should we not miss this book for fear of our very lives?

SN: First and foremost because BILL is doing the art. That’s worth it right there. Second because we’re really going to try and do something different and hopefully push boundaries a bit.

BS: Major Dittoes about the writing of Steve! An additional factor is his back-story- which is much more urban- not urbane- that visually I see a world of possibilities to distort within the context of the series. We have a great premise, and some of the things Steve wants to try which are exciting to me, end up having the effect much like miller and I on Elektra: assassin- we let the freakish little one-off idea grab hold and suddenly it's a major plot point. Or vice versa, something that was meant to be a quote BFD unquote, gets downgraded, or dismissed. To my mind, it's pseudo-Lynchian-nightmare logic-but as I’ve already produced five pages of sinner art- there's a definite concretized element to it. There’s a definite beginning, middle and end in mind. It’s just that, in addition to throwing the audience some curveballs, we'll be doing that to each other. In other words, everyone should expect the unexpected--and of course, exponentially, when you least expect it.

ARTCOTIC - The book has been described as horror and as super-hero. Which one applies most?

SN: Hopefully neither. It’s funny because if it wasn’t for the super-hero aspects of this story I’d say the horror comes from the reality within the story.

BS: All I can say is refer to the answer I gave above. No, it won't answer this question, but reading the answer twice will give you an impression it did.

ARTCOTIC - Bill, does your approach to your art differ on this project in any way, considering that it is a mixture of genres you've worked on previously?

BS: To be honest, I don't 100% know how it's going to affect it, in that I’ve always been of the school of implied horror being more effective than "showing it all because we can", school. It’s like slapping the warning sticker "adult material" on a mag like HM because they can show nude women whose nipples rival the size of their weaponry. To me, that’s not the definition of "adult". That’s a teenage male's view of that concept. Truly adult material is about tension and release, characters you may not necessarily like, but can relate to, a whole host of things that have nothing to do with the heroine's cup size. That digression aside- since working with Steve, I find that I’m enjoying finding ways to do both things simultaneously: sort of artful or beautiful disembowelment (laughs) in context - and sheer, well, viscera, when it's called for. since I’ve played my so-called 'art chops' all over the place, to various responses of consternation and lionization, the thing to do now is play them when and where they're called for, not "just 'cuz". But back to the main question- I’m sure the art and storytelling WILL be affected. At this point. I’m not exactly sure how, which is part of what's so exciting about working with Steve.

ARTOTIC - Now, the titular "Sinner" in the series is named Erik, spelled just like a certain Image boss. Coincidence?

SN: Actually no. God, I hope he doesn’t think that. I just like the ring of the name.

BS: I agree with Steve. Erik Larsen of Image is one of the most decent talented guys I know. So if anything, we named against type. (Not that our main character is the actual titular "Sinner". there's a plethora of Sinners out there. heh heh)

ARTCOTIC  - Comic book collaboration is usually pretty straight forward with description of panels, actions, etc. Given Bill's unique style and reputation for "drawing outside the box", how was this project created?

SN: For Bill I write a different kind of script. I don’t use any kind of formatting at all. I don’t breakdown panels or even pages. I just write and then Bill breaks it down. When he’s done I look at the art and compare it to the outline and write a final lettering script.

BS: I empathize with Steve. Working with me is a challenge, (I say that lightly) because in artistic terms, I tend to run on instinct and emotion at times. And mathematics and scientific approaches at others. Plus I’m a mad perfectionist--so I’m bloody hell to work with at times. I admit the result can be pleasing occasionally, and I’m my worst critic---but getting there is half the hell, and half the fun. so my way of working even surprises me as I’m doing it, because I get very impatient and don't like doing things twice,--I always want to try to move into some sort of new arena- ... so for the unfortunate-or extremely fortunate soul- not living in my brain at that moment - they'd have no idea what my id or ego has just produced. All they see is the fait accompli, in comparing it to the general direction they had intended, their response is an understandable "what the f...?" for me the act of creation has always existed in the moment, and I find that the only really successful way to do projects successfully that keep the beast under control is to treat projects like Scorsese did around the time of taxi driver :-"one for me , two for them..." because I cannot possibly expect anyone to read my mind. All eggs do not belong in one basket. The other way to run with it to take the idea as it's been presented, and

A. Do it exactly as described, leaving the door open for something weirder later on

B. Get really jazzed by it and take the idea and run with it and ramp/amp it up. Do the Dennis Hopper journalist's improv routine in 'Apocalypse Now'. Let’s not even go anywhere near what Brando did.

C. Turn it sideways, and when the response comes, play fairly within that set of rules and attempt to nail what's been tossed at me.

D. This is a collaboration, which to me is like jazz, so I think there'll be plenty of opportunities for both of us to kick out the jambs creatively. That’s really what this all boils down to.

ARTCOTIC - Sinner seems to be a pretty clear comment on today's society.  What real life events and/or situations influenced your writing, Steve?

SN: It sort of covers two main themes, one is addiction which is something I thin this entire country faces on one level or another, if not with themselves then someone they know. The other theme and I write about this a lot, is how people treat anyone who is different. It can be a scary thing in today’s world even attempting to go against the grain. There’s a real mob mentality growing and if you don’t fit you get singled out.

BS: That's very true. The majority might say it wants something it's not seen before, but when it boils down to it, it becomes," well, not THAT unusual, thank you." One thing: I think people do need time for something to grow on them. the last things I remember liking on first go round were on TV- sports night, the sopranos, deadwood, -in comics, ANYTHING by Kyle Baker, Frank -my brother in arms- Miller, and in novels, Chuck Palahniuk. Steve is in that category, but I find I usually have to adjust to the art. Excuse me if I don't go into the reasons for that adjustment. That sounds like a lot of "gimmes", but it's really not. Not with all the stuff out there. Hopefully, the sinner will garner that immediate first go-round appeal. Our fingers are crossed.

ARTCOTIC - How long to you anticipate Sinner going? Is a potential long term series?

SN: I hope so. I’d love to see it go on for a long time.

BS: Same here. the opportunities to interweave genres, characters, police procedurals with James Ellroy documentary style to Steve’s horror elements --plus his ability to write "out of the (caption) box' --that is, do pure prose, to Stan and Jack and Ditko-esque/modern art commentary -and combine it into a fresh stew, leaves us a wealth of subject matter, directions to travel and intriguing stories to tell.

ARTCOTIC - Of course, it's too early to even contemplate this, but if Sinner was optioned to Hollywood, give us your dream casts and crews.

SN: I want to reassemble the cast of the original Brady Bunch show and cast them in all the various roles. I think that would really fuck with people’s heads.

BS: Right now, I’m trying to decide what these characters will look like on paper, let alone celluloid--or digitally. Some are nailed down pretty well. That said, I’m still trying - with great difficulty-to fit Tim Conway and Harvey Korman types into severe ongoing dramatic roles. -the trick would be to keep Korman's character from pissing down his own leg everytime Conway opened his mouth to make an astute forensic observation. Picture "Se7en"s "' gluttony' autopsy scene as directed by David Fincher, but the straight Q and A police work of Pitt and Freeman being redone as an ad-lib skit a la "The Carol Burnett Show". Even the "fat boy"/dead guy on the slab would be trying to stifle a guffaw. The series is rife with possibilities with those two characters alone! One joke, repeated ad nauseum until all you can do is piss your pants in laughter and get caught up in the caustic verisimilitude-- much like certain Monty python sketches. Crossed with the fugitive and an old Christopher George show called the immortal. Oh damn, I’ve gone and said too much. But like I said- expect the unexpected.

ARTCOTIC - Finally, a purely comic geek sort of question. Bill and Steve, if you were approached today and given the opportunity to work on any comic book or character ever published, who would it be?

SN: Easy for me, the Hulk.

BS: Oooh. Multiple choice. The early hulk and iron man would be great. And personally, since I’ve never had a full batman story published- though I completed an entire issue and was working on the second issue when the whole project was killed and redone with another artist. I was and am still mystified, because to this day it's some of the best work I feel I’ve done in my career. So the last answer is a three pointer: give me my shot at batman! I’ll buy the entire print run of fifteen or so.

THE SINNER comes out this year on IMAGE COMICS. For more information on Steve Niles visit his website at www.steveniles.com and for more information on Bill Sienkiewicz visit his website at www.billsienkiewicz.com.